Thursday Oct 19 (DAY 1)

Theme of the Retreat: The Art of Living and Dying

Five different perspectives on how this will influence and change your Astrology Practice

KAY TAYLOR Living Like We’re Dying

How do our beliefs about death, and our experience of illness, loss or disability inform the way we live? If we are certain of reincarnation, does that free us? Do religious beliefs help or hinder the process? The passage of Jupiter through the sign of Scorpio will expand our understanding of truth as we cannot turn away from the fears, traumas and secrets… and the redemption, power and transformation that await those who are not afraid of the mysteries nor the darkness.

When seeing challenging issues in the chart, how do we convey that to the client? We'll explore various responses to the question.

MAURICE FERNANDEZ Reincarnation in the Natal Chart - Can we see it in the Chart?

Are we reincarnating? And if so can astrology actually show that? Maurice will bring charts of the same soul incarnated in two separate lifetimes to illustrate these dynamics. A compelling perspective.

ARLAN WISE The Astrology of Past Life Regression

How to see and experience your past and tie it to your chart? Who is best suited to lead regressions? Who is most likely to remember past lives? You chart can tell you. I will show examples of people who have undergone regressions and compare what they remember to what we see in the chart.

12:15 – 1:00pm Lunch

1:30 - 3:30pm Breakout into Random Groups Discussion about the Theme

3:30 – 4:15pm Main room Discussion and Connect with your Track Leader

4:30 - 6:00pmGroup Tour of Zion National Park

Friday Oct 20 (DAY 2)

7:30 - 8:45am Breakfast

9:00 - 10:15am Morning session - Short Presentations:

Moon Zlotnick: Using the Death Chart as a counseling Tool

Coming to terms with the loss of a loved one can be a very difficult and long process. A chart cast for the date time and place of the person's death can offer unique insights. Jupiter transiting Scorpio promises a deeper understanding and acceptance of using death as a tool to learn about ourselves and life's secrets.

Sirin Mitrani: Dark Side of Jupiter

Jupiter is known as ‘greater benefic’. Being Zeus as god of the gods, he is related with luck, opportunity and prosperity. Where he is found in our charts, we feel confident, faithful and always protected. What if I tell you mass murderers, serial killers and even suicide bombers have highly focal Jupiter in their charts? In the charts of the killers all around the world, we will see the manifestation of Jupiter not as a life giver but a life taker.

Saturday Oct 21 (DAY 3)

7:30 - 8:45am Breakfast

9:00 - 10:15am Morning session - Short Presentations

Gaye Alkan: What Does Pluto Want From Us?

Commonly, when astrologers first start to study astrology, they get surprised by the way symbolisms explain their life story. These first moments of discovery often serve as our motivation to expand our exploration of astrology. The astologer’s best teacher is his/her own chart, and even in the times it is very subjective, we all learn a lot by observing our own charts. While we all learn the classic definitions of planets from books, so much more can be learn from our own personal experience. This presentation is about asking deeper questions. Pluto is commonly defined as reflecting power, transformation, manipulation. But is there more to Pluto than that? This is where our personal observation matters. Being from the Pluto in Scorpio generation and currently experiencing Pluto transiting my Ascendant, i have my own Pluto story to share, and possibly offer new insights about Pluto. This is a study from direct experience.

Kate Rusko: Death and rebirth in the chart: not just Pluto's game

Underworld processes have always existed, eons before Pluto was discovered. In ancient times, the synodic cycles of Venus and Mars informed collective birth, death and rebirth processes. In this short talk, I would like to focus on the cycle of Venus and the various ways in which she engages us with the energies of transformation and empowerment. Drawing on the extensive work that Cayelin Castell and Tami Brunk have recently put into the Venus cycle, I propose to go far beyond the Venus star points to illustrate how the Venus cycle and natal position can inform the every day "Art of Living and Dying".

Sunday Oct 22 (DAY 4)

Astronomy for Astrologers - Special Panel

What are the differences between Astronomy and Astrology? Maurice will discuss the phenomenon of constellations versus signs, the 13th sign of Ophiucus, The Age of Aquarius, and provide a visual experience of the Zodiac constellations.

DEMETRA GEORGE - Synodic cycle as the model to explain planetary speed, visibility, direction, and phase Living your Life to the Fullest

ANNE ORTELEE - Astronomy for Astrologers: Common Terms

What terms do astrology and astronomy share? Often astrologers wonder which "words" are used by both practices! There are quite a few shared terms as we both study the heavens! Numerous examples like perigee, apogee, meridian, zenith will be covered so you can safely chat with astronomers.

ONER DOSER - Heliocentric Perspective and Mundane Astrology

Until Copernicus, some astrologers who were also astronomers draw charts with a heliocentric perspective and made predictions. However, the astrologers did not pay enough attention to newly discovered heliocentric perspective which was pointed out by Copernicus and a divergence occurred between the astrologers and the astronomers. In this presentation, after summarizing the differences between the Heliocentric and Geocentric perspective Oner Doser will mention the use of heliocentric charts in Mundane Astrology. He will also review natural disasters like earthquakes, volcanic activities along with hurricanes, civil wars, revolts and some financial and political upheavals through heliocentric charts.

Retreat Menu

Articles and Testimonies

OPA Retreats: A Human Dimension to the Study of Astrology

by Maurice FernandezI came back from the seventh Organization for Professional Astrology (OPA) retreat in Asilomar, California with a hopeful outlook. One reason for my optimism was that I experienced the community of astrologers in a different light. Professionals and amateurs alike were truly interacting in meaningful ways...Read more...

Thoughts on the Retreat

by Katrina PetersAs with any trip you wonder what it will be like, whom you will meet, awaiting magical moments to unfold. It starts so slow and ends so fast, you are left wondering if you were even there. When you have an amazing time and meet wonderful people, you are ultimately left wanting more. Read more...